Justice Department withdraws support from case challenging rules for transgender student athletes

[DonViejo]

Source: CBS News


BY MELISSA QUINN

FEBRUARY 24, 2021 / 8:46 AM / CBS NEWS

Washington — The Justice Department on Wednesday told a federal court in Connecticut it is withdrawing its support for a lawsuit filed by three high school students in the state challenging rules involving transgender student-athletes.

In a short filing with the U.S. district court, the Biden administration said "the government has reconsidered the matter and hereby notifies the Court that it withdraws its Statement of Interest."

The case was brought last year by three high school students who compete in interscholastic girls' track and field in Connecticut. The student-athletes argued a policy from the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference allowing students to compete in athletic competitions according to their gender identity violates Title IX, a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex by institutions that receive federal dollars.

As a result of the new rules from the Connecticut body, two transgender athletes were allowed to compete in girls' track meets beginning in the 2017 season. But the students argued they were being denied opportunities to participate in state and regional meets and access to collegiate scholarships, as they were competing against transgender girls who have an athletic advantage.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/justice-department-transgender-student-athlete-rules/

[mezame]

1. Good

Withdrawing its interest is actually a good thing. The lawsuit's intent is to allow schools to discriminate against trans athletes. These are cis girls bitching about 'lost' opportunities because they 'fear' playing against teams with trans athletes; i.e., they're afraid they can't beat these teams (because of some unproven athletic advantage), and thus not receive the scholarships they feel they deserve.

Let the kids play. Scholarships are (or should be) given on merit, talent and ability, not because of what's between your legs.

I will look forward to these girls losing badly in court. Then let's see how their scholarship prospects look.

[Jimbo S]

2. These cis girls you mock

have a legit concern. Yes, there is an advantage. That's why separate boys and girls teams exist.

There has to be a solution, but the solution some want isn't viable.

[efhmc]

3. Well. what exactly is the solution?

[Jimbo S]

7. Excellent question

for which I do not know the optimal solution.

Maybe a separate category of competition?

Currently in Wisconsin, track-and-field has four: boys, girls, wheelchair boys and wheelchair girls. Add two more for FtM and MtF? If so, I would those would have at most one or two competitors. Is it really competition with zero or one opponent?

[Brentos]

4. Honest Question

Honest question out of ignorance (CIS white male here), does this mean we should completely eliminate all girls sports if there are no actual genders? If I choose my gender, does gender mean anything beyond what I choose it to mean? It seems girls sports were a win for women back in the day, since they couldn't compete against the boys (for real and fake reasons). Do we eliminate girls sports and let basketball become 98% CIS men, for example? Or do we keep girls sports so more girls get a chance to play? But if we do that, we are saying gender is a thing beyond choice. I struggle with the fact it seems we are arguing there are no actual gender reasons for separation in sports, etc., but we still argue for separating genders for various reasons and it goes in circles. It still FEELS right to me to separate, yet it also FEELS right to support gender identity, so I (who does not struggle himself, admittedly) don't know the right answers, I feel. Or, is this a fake slippery slope argument with no basis in reality? I really don't know. Maybe the ideal is the primary leagues are anyone/any gender best plays, but also have both boys and girls teams below that? I don't know.

[Humanist_Activist]

5. Your question isn't honest, gender identity isn't a choice.

The rest of you wall of text is irrelevant.

[Brentos]

6. Apologies.

Let me rephrase that part to "the gender identity I am versus that with which I was externally born" and then the same questions apply. Like I said, I am ignorant of this, so no offense intended. I apologize.

[mezame]

8. More On This Topic...

MTF athletes LIKELY retain some degree of biological advantage even after lowering testosterone levels, but we don't know this for sure.

This is an excellent objective read on both sides of the issue:

[link:https://sportsscientists.com/2019/03/on-transgender-athletes-and-performance-advantages/|]

And I offer an apology to the cis teenagers whom I disparage. That was uncalled for. Being trans myself, stuff like this really triggers me. But I have issues that, once again, humanity and morality have to be legislated. Young female-identified athletes just want to play their sport. And there are IOC rules in place that these athletes must adhere to. What's really needed is more evidence.

The writer of the linked article sums it up this way:

Sports authorities are in an unenviable position here. They are trying to be inclusive (generally, a good thing), when they may not actually need to, but in so doing, have opened themselves up to criticism over how they’re managing the attempted inclusion, because inclusion may create exclusion. The great irony is that they’re then accused of discrimination, but it’s actually their attempts to be inclusive, in an imperfect way, that allows this criticism. The other irony is that their desire to be inclusive could be landing them in a position of less inclusion than being exclusionary.

It's notable that the plaintiffs don't mention which sport they're complaining about. But we've got women place-kickers playing on boys' football teams, which speaks to equality and grudging respect. But forming Trans-only sports/leagues/competitions isn't the answer either.